Francis g



(No Model.)'

- .4 F. 0. WALLACE.

BILL FILE. I

PatentedJune 23, 1896.

M. PHOTO-UTNO.WASHINGTON.DC

UNITED ST TES PATENT OFFICE.

runners c. WALLACE, or WASHINGTON, nisrmo'r or COLUMBIA.

BILL- FILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 562,444, dated June 23, 1896.

Application filed April 17, 1896.

fierial No. 588,030. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known thatI, FRANCIS O. WALLACE, a citizen of the United States, residing at \Vashington, District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bill-Files; .and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in paper-files of that class in which a fixed standard having a sharpened point rises from a broad and flattened base-plate, the standard being designed to hold papers which may be placed thereon.

The invention especially relates to devices of the character mentioned, which are adapted for use in retaining druggists prescriptions, or other bills or memorandum-slips which accumulate from day to day and which it is necessary to preserve for future referonce.

The invention has for its object the provision of a file of this character constructed in sections, each section being in itself a complete filing device, entirely independent of the other sections and yet capable of being readily connected together, or removed from the series, when desired.

The invention has for its further object the provision, in connection with each of the sections above referred to, of an extension or arm which projects beyond the outer edge of its base portion, upon which arms or extensions it is designed to place either a date or some number or other character to indicate the contents of the particular section of the series of files of which the particular section is a part.

To these ends and to such others as the invention may pertain the same consists in the novel construction and in the peculiar combination, arrangement, and adaptation of parts, all as more fully hereinafter described,

shown in the accompanying drawings, and

then specifically defined in the appended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in which drawings- Figure Us a perspective view of a series of files constructed and connected together in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a like View of one of the sections detached. Fig. 3 is a like view of the base-plate and standard constituting the lower section of the series.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, Adesignates the base portion of the lower section of the file, which may be of any suitable material, and of such form and size as to afford a firm and substantial supportmfor the file. At the center of this base portion is provided a fixed standard, the upper portion of which is of less diameter than the lower portion, and the extreme upper end of the said standard is sharpened, so as to permit of the ready placing thereon of papers. The contracted up per portion B of the standard B is at a point adjacent to its lower end provided with a hole a, through which a locking pin or catch 1) is passed in looking to the standard the next succeeding file in the series.

The several files O D E, &c., which constitute the series are in all respects similar to the lower file in the series, excepting that the base portion of each of the files above the lower one is provided with a lateral extension or arm D, upon which is placed an indicating name, number, or character to indicate the contents of the particular file. These upper files in the series difier further from the lower file in that each of them has a hollow tube which constitutes the enlarged lower portion of the standard, from the upper end of which tube extends the portion ICO - clasp b.

In operation, supposing that the device is used by a druggist in filing his prescriptions,

we will say that he would intend to have each of the sections of the file contain the prescriptions for a single month. In this case he would have the base of the lower section marked January. hen the base portion or lower section of the continuous file has been filled, at the end of the month, he would set it aside and use the second section, which would be marked February, as an independent file. At the end of February this February file would be placed upon the standard of the lower or January section, and locked thereto by the retaining pin or The next succeeding file-section containing the March prescriptions would in turn be secured upon the top of the February section, &c., until the end of the year.

It will at once be seen that by the use of a filing device such as I have described the prescriptions or other papers upon the file could be readily found and removed by simply detaching the particular section containing the desired paper from the series. It will be also understood that, instead of mark ing the laterally-extending indicating-arms with the months, any other indicating characters can be substituted therefor.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim to be new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a billfi1e of the character described consisting of a base portion and standard, of a separate file having a hollow standard adapted to be fitted over the standard of the first-named file, and means, substantially as described for securing the files together.

2. The combination with a bill-file consisting of a base portion and standard, of a sesies of files each having a base portion and hollow standard adapted to be fitted over the standard of the next lower file in the series, and means, substantially as described, for locking the several files together, substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANCIS C. IVALLACE.

\Vitnesses:

FRANKLIN H. IIOUGH, FRANK B. llilAnLow. 

